Vanity case



Fatented May 19; 1936 UN-ITED'STATES ATENT OFFICE VANITY CASE.

Simon Morrison, New York, N. Y.

Application January 17, 1935, Serial No. 2,149

12 Claims.

This invention relates to vanity cases, and it is particularly applicable to vanity cases for carrying loose powder.

Among the objects of the invention are to provide simple and improved mechanism for opening and closing the powder compartment, to provide such mechanism which can be manufactured rapidly at low expense, and to provide such mechanismwhich can be reliably manufactured under quantity production conditions.

More detailed and specific objects of the invention will be apparent from the following disclosure. j

The invention is disclosed in a vanity case having conventional top and bottom members, each of which is of shallow cup-shaped,form. These two members are connected by a hinge and are arranged to be latched together in superimposed relation when the vanity case is closed. The 20. bottom member of the case constitutes a powder compartment and has a top that is apertured to give powder-transferring access to the compartment. Beneath the aperture are a pair of shutter blades which are separated to open the aper- 25, ture and. brought together again to close they aperture.

Fig. 1 of the drawings is a plan view of the vanity case in open position, part of the powder compartment top being broken away to show the 30 shutter actuating mechanism.

. Fig. 2 is a double scale vertical section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1-, the top in closed position being added thereto in dot-dash lines.

Fig.3 is a plan View of the interior mechanism, showingthe shutter blades in closed position.

Fig. 4 is a plan View of the interior mechanism, showing. the shutter blades in open position.

.Fig. 5 is a detail vertical section on line 55 of Fig. 1, showing the meeting edges of the shutter blades.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of an interior apertured plate which supports the shutter blades.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of one of the shutter blades.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of a horse-shoe-shaped shutter actuating member.

. Fig. 9 is aplan View of a modified interior mechanism, showing the shutter blades in closed position.

Fig. 10 is a plan view of the modified interior mechanism, showing the shutter blades in open 551 ,Fig. 12 is a detail vertical section taken on line i2i2 of Fig. 9 and showing the meeting edges of the shutter blades.

Fig. 13 is a plan view of the interior apertured plate of the modified mechanism.

Fig. 14 is a plan View of a modified shutter blade.

Fig. 15 is a plan view of a shutter actuating link of the modified mechanism.

In Figures 1 and 2 the lower cup shaped member is designated as a whole by 16 and the upper cup shaped member is designated as a whole by H, the two members being connected by a hinge H3. The two members close together in superimposed relation and are latched closed by a conventional latch member l9 carried by a leaf spring.

The bottom half of the box constitutes a powder compartment and has a top member 2| with a depressed center portion 22 that is apertured at 25. The periphery of the top member 2| is provided with a depending annular flange 25 which is adapted to telescope in and frictionally hold to the vertical wall 26 of the lower box member 55. Telescoped within the annular flange 25 is a circular plate 21 having an aperture 28 that registers with the aperture 24. Plate 21 is provided with three spaced legs 29 which rest upon the bottom 30 of the powder compartment. At St (Fig. 3) a section of plate 2'! is bent downwardly to provide space for the leaf spring of latch t9, the spring being ordinarily attached to the vertical wall 25. This bent down portion 3! is so arranged as to cover the latch and prevent powder from sifting out at the latch.

The shutter mechanism is best seen in Figs. 3 to 8. Positioned between apertures 24 and 25 are segment shaped shutter blades 34 and 35, pivoted at 34 and 35 respectively to plate 21. These blades are slotted at 34 and 35 and angularly related intersecting slots 34 and 35 are provided in plate 21. A horse-shoe-shaped actuating member 36 overlies the blades 34 and 35; and the tips of the horse shoe are provided with pins 35 and 35 which project downwardly through the angularly related slots in both the shutter blades and the plate 21. The center of the horse shoe 36 is provided with an operating pin 31 which is adapted to be laterally reciprocated (by thumb button 38) in radial slots 39 and 40 in cover 2| and plate 21 respectively.

When thumb button 38 is in the position shown in Figures 1 and 2 the shutter blades are together and close the apertures which give access to the powder compartment. To open the powder compartment the user slides the button 38 radially inwardly, and the horse shoe member 36 moves correspondingly. Pins 34 and 35 act on the slots 34 and 35 in the shutter blades to move the blades simultaneously and severing them apart after the manner of opening the blades of a pair of shears. It will be noted that horse shoe member 36 is shaped to surround the depressed center 22 of the powder compartment cover, thereby enabling the depressed portion 22 to lie close against the shutter blades 34 and 35. This depression at 22 provides space above the shutter blades to receive a powder puff (not shown).

In the modified mechanism of Figs. 9 to there is an apertured plate 21 which may be identical with plate 21 (Fig. 6) but there is no need for slots such as 34 and 35. Shutter blades 34' and 35 are pivoted to plate 21'; and pivotally attached to the blades are the ends of curved actuating link 42, 42, the links being positioned beneath the blades. The other ends of the links are overlapped and pierced by a pin 31'. Preferably the overlapping portions of the links 42, 42 are beveled or otherwise thinned so that the combined thickness of the overlapping ends will be the same as the thickness of the body of the links. It will be understood that pin 31' corresponds to pin 31 (of Figs. 1-4) and is guided and actuated in the same way. Starting with the shutters closed as in Fig. 9, movement of the pin 31' radially inward throws the blades open as in Fig. 10, and vice versa.

The abutting edges of the shutter blades may be square as shown in Fig. 5, or they may be beveled to overlap slightly as shown in Fig. 12. Of course either form of blade edge may be used with either form of actuating mechanism; but to avoid useless duplication of drawing, the square edged blade has been shown in the first embodiment of the invention and the beveled edged blade has been shown in the modified embodiment of the invention.

In accordance with the patent statutes I have shown the best forms in which I have contemplated applying my invention, but it is to be understood that many variations may be made within the scope of the invention and the disclosure is illustrative and is not to be considered as limiting the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A vanity case comprising: a powder compartment having an apertured plate through which access to the compartment may be had; a shutter blade pivoted to the plate to swing over the aperture, the plate and blade being provided with angularly related intersecting slots; a pin extending through both of said slots; and means to move the pin and thereby oscillate the shutter blade.

2. Avanity case comprising: a powder compartment having an apertured plate through which access to the compartment may be had; aperture closing means comprising a pair of blades positioned side by side and having adjacent ends pivotally secured to said plate, the blades being provided with slots adjacent to their pivots and said plate being provided with slots angularly related to and intersecting with the slots in the blades; pins extending through the slots in the blades and the plate; and means to move the pins and thereby oscillate the blades, said pin moving means comprising a horse-shoe-shaped member embracing said aperture and having its tips attached to said pins.

3. A vanity case comprising: a powder compartment having a top formed with a depressed area providing a recess to receive a powder puff, the compartment also having a plate beneath the top, the top and plate being provided with aligned apertures through which access to the compartment may be had and the aperture in the top being in the bottom of said recess; aperture closing means consisting of a pair of relatively movable blades positioned between the top and said plate and making close sliding contact with the top and the plate; and actuating means operable to move said blades simultaneously, the actuating means separating the blades to open the apertures and bringing the blades together to close the apertures.

4. A vanity case comprising: a powder compartment having a top formed with a depressed center portion providing a recess to receive a powder puff, the compartment also having a plate beneath the top, the top and plate being provided with aligned apertures through which access to the compartment may be had and the aperture in the top being in the bottom of said recess; aperture closing means consisting of a pair of blades pivoted to said plate and positioned between the plate and the top and making close sliding contact with the top and the plate; and actuating means operable to oscillate the blades simultaneously to open and close said apertures.

5. A vanity case comprising: a powder compartment having an apertured plate through which access to the compartment may be had, a shutter blade pivoted to the plate to swing over the aperture, an acutating link curving around said aperture and having one end pivotally secured to the blade, and means to move the other end of the link to thereby oscillate the blade.

6. A vanity case comprising: a powder compartment having an apertured plate through which access to the compartment may be had; aperture closing means comprising a pair of blades positioned side by side and having adjacent ends pivotally secured to said plate; a pair of actuating links, one for each blade, the links curving around opposite sides of said aperture, one end of each link being pivotally secured to its blade; and means to move the other ends of the links in unison to thereby oscillate the blades simultaneously.

7. A vanity case comprising: a powder compartment having an aperture through which access to the compartment may be had; aperture closing means consisting of a pair of relatively movable blades having abutting beveled edges; and actuating means operable to move said blades simultaneously to open and close the aperture.

8. A vanity case comprising: a powder compartment having a plate that is apertured to give access to the compartment; aperture closing means comprising a plurality of relatively movable shutter blades; and means coordinating the blades for simultaneous movement, said coordinating means comprising two links pivoted together, one link being additionally pivoted to one shutter blade and the other link being additionally pivoted to another shutter blade, there. being a pin-and-slot connection from at least one of the links to said plate.

9. Av vanity case comprising: a bottom cupshaped shell adapted to hold powder; a top cupshaped shell cooperating with the bottom shell to complete the exterior of a case which may be opened and closed; an interior cover for the bottom shell, said interior cover having an aperture through which access may be had to powder in the lower shell; aperture closing means consisting of a pair of relatively movable blades located beneath said interior cover; and actuating mechanism operable to move said blades simultaneously, the actuating mechanism separating the blades to open the aperture and bringing the blades together to close the aperture, and the actuating mechanism being located beneath said interior cover but being provided with an operator member extending to the top of said interior cover.

10. A vanity case comprising: a bottom shell adapted to hold powder; an exterior closure member cooperating with said bottom shell to complete the exterior of a case which may be opened and closed; an interior cover for the bottom shell, said interior cover having an aperture through which access may be had to powder in the lower shell; a pair of movable blades positioned immediately beneath said interior cover and making close sliding contact therewith, the two blades being cooperable with each other to close said aperture; and actuating mechanism locatedbeneath said interior cover and operable to move the two blades simultaneously, separating the blades to open the aperture and bringing the blades together to'close the aperture, the actuating mechanism having a single operator member extending to the top of said interior cover.

11. A vanity case comprising: a bottom shell adapted to hold powder; an exterior closure member cooperating with said bottom shell to complete the exterior of a case which may be opened and closed; an interior cover for the bottom shell, said interior cover having an aperture through which access may be had to powder in the lower shell; aperture closing means consisting of a pair of blades positioned beneath said interior cover and. making close sliding contact therewith; a pair of pivots, one for each of the blades; and actuating mechanism operable to oscillate the blades simultaneously on their respective pivots to open and close said aperture, the actuating mechanism including a single operator member extending above said interior cover and in response to movement of which both blades are moved. i

12. A vanity case comprising: a bottom shell adapted to hold powder; an exterior closure member cooperating with said bottom shell to complete the exterior of a case which may be opened and closed; an interior cover for the bottom shell, said interior cover having an aperture through which access may be had to powder in the lower shell; aperture closing means consisting of a pair of relatively movable blades that are unbiased and are positioned beneath said interior cover; and actuating mechanism located beneath said interior cover and operable to move the blades simultaneously, separating the blades to open said aperture and bringing the blades together to close the aperture, said actuating mechanism including an operator member extending to the top of said interior cover.

SIMON MORRISON. 

